The Marido Line
by jusobele
Summary: Winner (tied) of JBNPs Fall Contest. This is the story of an AU post-BD2 bonfire. Jacob Black's girlfriend has no idea what is in store for her...and will the rest of the pack forgive her previous mistakes? Who is she, anyway? Please enjoy this trip into imaginary Quileute traditions. Beta read by Shadowlynx and Morrigan's Muse; pre-read by niamhg and malorla.


**A/N: This was the winning entry (jointly with Shadowlynx's _New Additions to Old Stories_) for the JBNP Fall Contest. The contest was to write a post-BD2 bonfire story. This is AU.**

Entry for the JBNP "**Come on Baby Light Our Fire**" Anonymous One-shot Contest

Title: **The Marido Line**

Pairing: **Jake and ...**

Rating: **M **– mild language

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warnings: none

Word count: 7000

Penname: Jusobele

* * *

"C'mon, honey..."

Jacob Black held out his hand for his girlfriend to take. He very much hoped that, by the end of the next day, she would be so much more than merely his_ girlfriend_...but first, he had to persuade her to actually accompany him to the evening's bonfire.

"Jake, I've told you I don't want to go." She crossed her arms mutinously and attempted to stare him down. He mirrored her actions smoothly, confident from previous arguments that he held the upper hand in their glaring contests. Sure enough, it wasn't long before the corners of her lips twitched, and she dropped her arms with a sigh. "_P__lease _don't insist on this. You know what happened the last time I was there."

"Yeah, I haven't forgotten. I let you off the hook the last two years because I understand how you feel about it...but honey, it's been _three _years now and honestly, nobody cares anymore."

"Really, Jake?" she challenged him, her hands on her hips. "Nobody cares that three years ago, because of _me, _the fall equinox celebrations were completely ruined? That the tribe's most important event of the year was gate crashed by one very drunk Bella Swan, who proceeded to prove to everyone present why you were better off without her? If I go tonight, it will just remind everyone of what happened last time, and it's only been in the past few months that I've felt people are starting to forgive me!"

He let her finish before wrapping his arms around her waist. Leaning his forehead against hers, he waited until her beautiful warm eyes met his own.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you back," she reassured him immediately.

"Then come with me," he pleaded. "I promise you won't be sorry you did. The guys will all behave, and I know the girls have been trying to talk you into it for weeks."

When she hesitated, he lowered his mouth to her ear, murmuring her name along with sweet words of love. He felt her relax and his heart soared because he knew she was finally going to agree. It had been three years since Bella Swan had turned up intoxicated at the fall equinox and made an utter fool of herself. A lot had happened since then, and Jacob knew he wouldn't be where he was today if Bella _hadn't_ all but wrecked the tribe's most important event of the year. That night had been hell, but he had grown to be grateful for it...because now, the girl who had become his entire world would hopefully agree to becoming his entire future.

She groaned and searched his eyes again, hoping for some last minute reprieve. She was blind-sided instead by the full effect of his puppy dog eyes.

"Please, baby," he begged her.

She sighed, knowing all hope was lost. "Give me ten minutes to get ready."

* * *

Half an hour later, they walked hand in hand onto First Beach, where the pack's Equinox Eve bonfire was already well under way. Jacob felt her arm tense, prompting him to rub her hand soothingly with his thumb.

"Everyone's staring," she hissed at him.

He smiled easily back down at her. "They're surprised to see you, honey. Everyone knows you've been avoiding everything to do with the Equinox." _They all know what's going to happen tomorrow, too._ A shiver of anticipation sliced through him, making him squeeze her hand a little harder than intended.

"Ow!"

"Sorry." Bringing her crushed knuckles to his lips, he smiled down at her again. "C'mon, let's go see the guys."

Tugging on her hand, he led her along the sandy beach towards where the pack was assembling around the bonfire. Jake glanced at the youngest member of the pack, a fourteen year old named Kai. Some of the Cullen coven remained in residence in Forks, and for as long as they did so, the pack kept on growing. There were now thirteen wolves, the biggest pack so far in the history of the Quileute tribe.

Ever the Alpha on duty, Jake studied his newest member. Kai had been struggling to keep his wolf under check. Just that morning, Jake had taken him out for a lengthy run and put him through some paces. The kid seemed to be doing better than a few days earlier, but the last thing Jake needed the next day was for one of his wolves to lose it in front of the entire tribe.

"You good?" he checked.

"I'm good."

Kai was trying not to stare too obviously at his formidable leader's girlfriend. He hadn't yet met all the girls, having been too volatile since his first phase two weeks earlier. Like every other member of the pack, he knew what was going to happen the next day. He'd caught snippets of information about Jake's romantic history through the pack mind, and was curious about the whole story behind the couple who stood in front of him now. The young woman met his stare and smiled kindly. Kai lowered his gaze immediately, not wanting to antagonise his leader by being too friendly.

"It's okay, Kai," she told him. Her voice was as gentle as her eyes. "We're all family. Jake won't bite you for talking to me."

Kai was saved from having to answer by two women tearing across the sand towards them. He recognised Jared's imprint, Kim, and Embry's imprint, Tess. Both wore bright grins as they squealed greetings at Jake and his girlfriend, before tugging her hand free from his and hauling her away.

"Where are we going?" she laughed, looking helplessly over her shoulder at Jacob.

"To get you decorated," Kim replied breathlessly.

"Decorated?"

"Oh, come on! We've all got a henna tattoo, look..." Kim pushed her hair back to show an intricate design, which had been painted on her forehead. "It's for the festival tomorrow. It'll be fun if we all match!"

The men watched the three women disappear into one of the makeshift tents that had been erected in preparation for the next day's festivities.

"If the tat doesn't tip her off, nothing will," Quil observed gravely.

"I can't believe she hasn't got it," Seth laughed.

Jake smiled softly as he thought of his selfless, unassuming girl. "It won't even have crossed her mind. She might have picked up on some of the signs if she was looking for it, but she's not expecting this."

"I take it she's definitely gonna do it?" Kai ventured.

The pack grew silent and turned as one to their Alpha, who had blanched suddenly.

"Pass me a fuckin' beer."

* * *

Two hours passed. The bonfire was stoked to a point where even Paul had to admit it was probably the highest in the pack's history. Billy Black, Charlie and Sue Swan, and Old Quil had arrived to join the pack for the evening's celebrations. Charlie had been let in on the pack secrets around the time of his marriage to Sue and—after an initial period of disbelief and denial—had taken the entire world of monsters and magic in stride.

The barbecue was going strong, and food was being cooked and consumed at an incredible rate. The drinks were flowing along with Billy's wit. The legends had been retold for the benefit of Kai, who was hearing them from his Chief for the first time. Jake's girl remained in the tent with Emily and Seth's imprint, Jolene, who was the tattoo artist. The rest of the imprints were all feeling a little tipsy, and the chill of the fall air was the perfect excuse for them to snuggle into their wolves' sides for warmth. The atmosphere around the bonfire was one of love, acceptance and contentment.

Kai was feeling the full effects of the warm, official welcome he had been given. His confidence had increased. Since phasing into a large pack, he had felt bewildered by the camaraderie between the twelve existing wolves. Now, surrounded by the huge family he had suddenly acquired, he felt bold enough to ask the question that had been on his mind since finding out what Jake had planned for the next day.

"What _really _happened three years ago?"

The pack members, and most of the imprints, laughed uproariously at the question, while Charlie groaned loudly.

"No!" he protested. "I was just thinking Bella's behaviour had been forgotten about!"

"Hell no! It's our new favorite bonfire story!" Paul guffawed, slapping his thigh as he saw Charlie's face redden in a way that was reminiscent of his daughter. "Who's telling it tonight?"

"I will."

Jake's face was far from contrite as he met Charlie's infuriated gaze. "What?" he asked, innocently. "I can tell it better than anyone else." Turning back to his youngest wolf, he asked, "What do you know about Bella Swan and Edward Cullen?"

"Uh...he's one of the Forks bloodsuckers, and she was in love with him while you were in love with her." Kai blurted out what he had learned through the pack mind.

Charlie reached for another drink and downed it at an alarming rate. The wolves all snickered.

"Yeah, that's about right," Jake confirmed. "Bella was engaged to Edward; they were supposed to get married a few weeks before her nineteenth birthday." The younger wolf's mouth popped open and several wolves snorted with laughter. Jake ignored them all. "They sent me an invitation to the wedding, which made me go kinda nuts. I went wolf, ran for weeks, stayed away till after the wedding day. When I got back, the guys here told me Bella had called off the wedding, but when I tried to see her, she told me she needed time. That was a real bad place for me to be in; I was heartbroken and confused.

"The Fall Equinox was coming up a little early that year. Our bonfire was set for September twelfth, and during it a group of girls from the tribe arrived. Among them was Laura." Jake grinned. "She's been crazy about me since high school," he added confidently.

"Get over yourself, Black," Leah muttered, making several of the men snicker again as Jake grinned broadly.

"Laura's always been kinda upfront, no bullshit, so she pretty much _told _me we were going to the Equinox festival together. I was really mad at Bella, so I agreed. The next day—the Equinox—was September thirteenth...Bella's birthday. I'd never forgotten her birthday, but it just didn't seem appropriate to get in touch with her that year. So, at some point in the afternoon, while I was at the festival with Laura, Bella showed up. She was alone on her birthday and wanted my company."

One of the pack sent up a sarcastic _aww_ which incited a gale of laughter from the group. Jake hushed them all and continued. "Bella went to dad's first, before following the noise to First Beach. I knew she was there—enhanced senses and all—and went to meet her...but Laura came with me. Bella saw us together, turned as white as a ghost, and basically ran away—"

"Naw...Bella Swan running away?" Quil goaded, sending another ripple of laughter through the pack.

Jake sighed. "You guys wanna hear this or not?" he demanded. He wanted to get this over with so that his girl could see how much the entire pack really did adore her. He waited for the laughter to subside before he continued.

"I wanted to go after her—like, _really _bad, but Laura figured it out. She told me she knew I'd been hung up on someone for a long time, and if I knew what was good for me, I'd let Bella go. She said I could do better than a girl who refused to let me in, when I was right in front of her, wearing my heart on my sleeve.

"So...the day wore on. The celebrations got underway, and then dad started the official ceremonies. Uh...Bella isn't Quileute, okay? She's not even native, so all the traditions and the significance of the different aspects of our festivals...she doesn't know them.

"Dad had just started the _Marido _ceremony. The coming of age girls and the mothers had walked the first parts of the line, and then it was time for the _wisatsu'upat _to go. The first had just started to walk up the line when Bella appeared from, like, _nowhere._ She marched—well, staggered, actually—straight through the Marido line."

Kai gasped in horror and Jake grimaced. "Yeah...it was _bad_. The first girl, she started to cry and her family went crazy. Paul had to take her boyfriend aside and get him to calm down. Bella had _no idea _what she was doing. She just kinda crashed through the line, never even realising the significance of it, and jabbering about seeing Jacob, she had to see Jacob.

"I heard her, saw her—hell, I could _smell _her. She reeked of booze, she was staggering about and slurring her words. She was obviously drunk. But Laura's advice had really struck a chord with me, and I knew I couldn't get in the middle of the Marido line, anyway."

Several guffaws erupted around the bonfire and Paul yelled over to his Alpha, "We damn well thought you would march straight through it to get to her, though!"

Jake grinned, unabashed. "I probably would have if Laura hadn't hit a nerve a few hours earlier."

"Can you imagine, though?" Embry directed at Kai. "Not just any guy storming through the Marido line, but the future Chief?" The laughs got louder again, and even Billy chuckled at the thought of the uproar that would have caused within the tribe.

Charlie, who had been sitting quietly listening to the details of his only child's ignominy, spoke up. "Alright, since we're here and talking about it...Can someone please explain to me _exactly _what's so bad about interrupting the Marido line?"

Several people began to speak at once. Jake held up his hand and nodded over to Kim, who had been involved in the previous year's ceremony. "It's probably better to hear it from one of the girls," he said.

Kim sat up straighter next to Jared and prepared to tell Charlie the worst. "The Marido line is absolutely sacred," she began, her voice serious. "It dates back to the beginning of our records. It occurs once every year, on the day of the Fall Equinox.

"I'm sure you know, Charlie, that the Quileute people hold women in very high regard. We're indispensable. Without women, there would be no child bearing or rearing; no food to nourish the men and children; no comfort in the home. The responsibility placed on our shoulders is great, and our Equinox traditions call on our ancestors to guide our women. It's believed that our ancestors are most available to help us during the Fall Equinox.

"At that time of year, the Marido line is formed. Every female member of the tribe unites to form two lines along the beach, creating an avenue between them. Then, while the Elders pray to our ancestors, any woman or girl who is coming of age, wishing to marry, or with child, walks down the avenue between every other female of the tribe. Our belief is that as they walk along the Marido line, our ancestors come amongst us, and draw on the special talents of each female present. They then combine all that they have gathered, and bestow it on the woman when she reaches the end of the line.

"It is _absolutely essential _that the line is not interrupted while a woman is walking along it. A man, for example, breaching the Marido line would pollute the gifts available to the woman with his masculinity. A child breaching it would pass on immaturity. A white person breaching it would taint the purity of the bloodline. There is also a superstition that if the line is breached while a woman is walking it, her marriage will be irreparably ruined."

Charlie rubbed the back of his neck. He already understood that Bella had caused an incredible amount of trouble on that fateful day, but as the full extent of it hit him, he wondered how the pack could talk about it so calmly now. Hell, they were even laughing about it...or about his reaction, he wasn't sure which.

"So what happened?" Kai was eager to know. He was torn between the infectious mirth of his new pack, and feeling utterly aghast at the thought of someone disrupting the sacred Marido line...especially a drunken _hók__w__at̉!_

Picking up the story again, Jake replied, "Bella expected me to go running to her—I always had before. When I didn't, she started weaving through all the people screaming my name. She was completely oblivious to the chaos she was creating. The _Marido _girls were all crying, and their families and boyfriends were furious. Half the pack were ushering them all to the council to work out what to do next, while the other half were busy making sure I didn't make things worse by going to Bella.

"Of course, she's a total klutz so she fell in the sand and one of the girls in the Marido line starting shouting at her. Bella was so damn drunk, she just started screaming back at her, asking where I was and yelling that no other girl was going to take me away from her."

"When Jake heard that, it took three of us to hold him back," Jared interrupted. "All he heard was, Bella didn't want him to be with any other girl. He was set to go straight to her, Marido line or not."

"Why'd you stop him, though?" Kai asked. "I mean, that was her realising she loved him, right?"

"She was drunk as a skunk," Quil explained. "That girl put Jake through the wringer time and time again. If she'd been sober, it would've been different, but the thought of her cryin' all over him drunk, then changing her mind the next morning...It woulda' killed Jake."

"So what happened next?" Kai was intrigued by the story. At the age of eleven, he had been too young to attend the Marido part of the Equinox festivities, but he vividly remembered his mother and older sister returning home scandalised after it. Hushed whispers and half rumours had reached his ears for days afterwards.

"Laura stepped forwards," Jake continued. "She was so damn pissed—at Bella, and because of the _Marido _being interrupted like that. She hauled Bella back on to her feet and smacked her straight across the face. The two girls started screaming at each other. Bella accused Laura of trying to 'steal' me, and Laura yelled back that I deserved better than her. Fuck, it was bad." Jake shook his head at the memory and took a long pull of his beer. "Bella didn't even get that the whole place was in uproar around her. Finally, my dad told Embry to just physically pick Bella up, drive her home and get her to sober the hell up.

"After she left, the whole place was in fuckin' chaos. Nobody could agree on what to do about the Marido line...Some people thought it would be bad luck to continue with the ceremony, but the girls' families had been preparing for months for it. Dad, Old Quil and Sue had to improvise and re-establish the line, but Bella's antics had pretty much ruined it.

"Of course, when I had to go up and give my blessing at the end—being the future Chief and all—the men wanted to fuckin' kill me for ruining the ceremony for their wife, daughter, sister, whoever. I had Quil on one side and Sam on the other to make it look as if I had muscle with me in case any of them tried anything. I had to get through that, and I really just wanted to go and fuckin' hide...

"Anyway, the next day I drove over to Forks to see Bella. She was hungover and mortified. When I told her what the significance was, with the Marido line and all, she became even more upset. I was pissed with her for what she'd done, and then she wouldn't even admit to having been jealous or wanting me, so I told her to stay the hell away from La Push and from me.

"A couple of weeks passed, and the tribe weren't forgiving and forgetting. Everywhere I went, people were whispering. Of course, I could hear it all—not that any of them knew that. Laura came to see me every day and all I could tell her was that I wasn't ready to get involved. Bella tried to visit, called every day, texted, and wanted to see me even though I'd asked her not to."

Jake stared off into the distance as he remembered the personal hell he had been in. His gaze softened then as the next memory came to him. "Then, one day while I was phased, that girl over there—" He nodded towards the tattoo tent. "She turned up on Embry's doorstep and asked him to pass a message onto me, since I wouldn't listen to her. Embry told her to tell me herself, and phased so she could speak to me through the pack mind.

"She told me she loved me, she chose me, she just wanted to be with me. It was all I'd ever needed to hear from her. We've been together ever since. It wasn't easy at the start, but hell, we're damn good together. And yeah, the guys thought I was a schmuck, and yeah, the tribe weren't forgiving, but I can tell you now that it's been worth all of it." Glaring defiantly around the pack, Jake then finished off his drink and threw the empty bottle onto the large pile gathering to the side of the bonfire.

A silence ensued while the pack remembered the various times they had each refused to support their Alpha in his choice. A few heads ducked in shame; a few more refused to show such remorse. Bella Swan had messed with Jake for too long, in their opinion. Kai noticed the reactions and wondered briefly why his Alpha hadn't simply ordered the wolves to accept his mate. He realised the truth as soon as the thought formed—Jacob Black would want them all to come around of their own free will.

It was Seth who finally broke the silence. "It's been a long time since anyone's had any beef with Bella, Jake."

"Yeah, I know that. I live in your fuckin' heads. But she doesn't. Seriously, guys...I don't even know what she's gonna say tomorrow. She's never forgiven herself for what she did that night, and as long as she thinks you don't support us, she won't believe the rest of the tribe will _ever _come round. The girls have been great recently, getting her prepared for tomorrow, and I really appreciate that." He looked around the gathered imprints, nodding at them in acknowledgment of the clandestine operations they had been engaged in. Then, he addressed his pack again. "If she feels tonight that you've all accepted her as my chosen mate—sorry, Charlie—then I think she'll be okay tomorrow. But I really need you to let her see it."

Looks were exchanged and heads nodded. Paul was the one who spoke up.

"Don't worry about it, Jake. We'll make sure she knows it's all good, tonight."

* * *

A further two hours later, the music from Sam and Emily's old CD player was changed to a slow beat. Jake extracted a laughing Bella from Jared's twirling arms, and enfolded her in his own warm embrace. One hand rested on her ass and he pulled her body more tightly against his as he began swaying them both in time to the music.

"Having fun, honey?" he murmured in her ear. He loved to whisper into her ear. When he did that, he had to bury his nose in her hair, immersing himself in the scent of her shampoo. Once, she had changed the shampoo she used; he had complained about it for a full week until she changed it back again. There was something about it that he just associated with his Bells, with the early days of their friendship and the beginning stages of the tentative relationship they had subsequently formed.

Also, when he was close enough to whisper in her ear, he could feel the way her body shivered in response to his voice and his breath on her skin. He smiled into her hair now as he felt the tremor run through her.

"Loads of fun," she admitted happily as she wound her arms tightly around his neck. "I think they really have accepted me at last, Jake. They've all made such a huge effort this evening." Turning her face up to his, he smiled broadly when he saw the peace and happiness etched on her beautiful features.

"I've been telling you that for ages," he reminded her. "You told Kai earlier that we're all family. That applies to you, too."

"I know, but Paul's always been so..._dismissive_."

"That's just Paul."

"I know...but Brady and Collin, too...they're always distant."

"Only because you've never let them get to know you, honey. They hadn't phased yet, back when you used to hang out here. They never saw for themselves how great you are."

"They've been really nice tonight."

Jake pulled her body still closer against his. His heart swelled and when he spoke, he did so with his lips pressed against her neck. "I'm glad."

Jake couldn't even begin to express how glad he was. If his pack brothers hadn't stepped up and caught his back that night, tomorrow's Marido line may have turned out to be an ever bigger fiasco than three years earlier.

* * *

"Wake up, sleepyhead!"

Jake groaned and threw one arm over his eyes, trying to block out the sunlight that streamed through the curtains Bella had just opened. He felt the mattress depress next to him and smiled when she clambered on top of him, straddling his chest as she pushed his arm partially out of the way so she could kiss him.

"It's the Fall Equinox festival!" she told him. "You're the one who wanted me to go, so stop lounging around in bed!" She made as though to climb off him again, but he was too fast for her. Grabbing her hips, he pressed her onto the mattress and flipped them over so that he was lying on top of her.

"Where's this enthusiasm coming from?" he demanded, wondering if she had somehow guessed.

Her eyes were very serious as she answered him. "I got to thinking after you went out on patrol last night. I totally messed up, we all know that. But it was three years ago. You forgave me, and God knows I didn't deserve that. The pack all seem to be letting bygones be bygones, so I figured it's time I stopped hiding from everyone, and let the rest of the tribe know that I'm here to stay."

Jake felt his heart swell and emotion choked him momentarily. Clearing his throat, he attempted nonchalance as he kissed her and ran his fingers through her hair. "Let's get going, then."

For the next half hour, Jake had to work hard to hide his emotions. Her words resounded in his head. _...I'm here to stay. _He could only pray that the tribe would be understanding today.

By eleven o'clock, almost the entire tribe had assembled on First Beach. Stalls lined the main track down onto the sand, while various activities were set up along the beach. Jake watched in admiration as Bella worked the crowd in a way he had never seen her do before. Normally, if she had to accompany him somewhere on the reservation, her entire body language screamed, _leave me alone. _Today, though, her head was held high and she was the one who initiated most of the conversations they stopped to have. It really did seem as though the pack had finally set her mind at ease.

The remnants of last night's bonfire had been swept aside, and a new kindling had been set up for later. Behind it, next to where Jolene had decorated the girls with tattoos, another tent had been erected. Jake's hand shook as he pointed it out to Bella.

"You need to go in there," he told her. "Sue and your mom are waiting."

"My...what? _Renee_ is here?" Bella turned to look at him incredulously and he had to swallow hard. All of a sudden, being so secretive about this didn't seem like such a good idea. Bella _hated _surprises. Jeez, what if she just freaked the hell out? Blood rushed to Jacob's head and no words came out of his mouth when he opened it.

"Jake?" Bella's voice sounded alarmed as she placed her cool hand on his cheek. "What's wrong? Are you feeling all right? _Talk _to me, Jake!"

"I'm so sorry, Bella." His words came out in a rush. "I shouldn't have...It's all been planned out, and everyone knew except you...but fuck Bells! You hate surprises and you've not been involved in anything! Shit! _Fuck!_"

"Hey, calm down man." Quil appeared from somewhere behind Bella, handing his Alpha a glass of hard liquor which he swallowed down with one mighty gulp.

Bella and Jake stood staring at each other—the former bewildered, the latter petrified. Quil looked from one to the other, then nudged his old friend with his elbow.

"Best just get on with it, man. Your dad's gonna be getting ready to start soon."

Jake gulped again, then came to a decision. Leaning down, he swiftly swept Bella into his arms and began running across the sand with her. Her shocked protests fell on deaf ears. When they were safely in the forest, out of sight of the curious onlookers on the beach, he deposited her back on her feet and took a large step back from her. Without thought, the words fell from his lips.

"Bella, everything that's been going on the past couple of days has all been planned out. The guys being so friendly at the bonfire last night was to prove to you how much they've moved on from the last equinox you were at. Kim offering to swap shifts so you can have next week off work was planned so that we can go away together." He swallowed hard. "The tattoo Jolene did...isn't just a random design. The Kokopelli symbolises fertility—for future Alphas and Chiefs. The figure of eight symbolises our love—never ending. And uh..." He took a deep breath before blurting out the rest. "You were supposed to go into that tent and put on a special costume that was going to tip you off to what's happening today."

"What kind of costume?" she asked slowly. Her eyes hadn't left his face the entire time he had been speaking.

"A Marido dress," he admitted.

"A..." Bella's voice trailed off as the enormity of what he was saying hit her.

"Bella, it isn't too late. We can just forget about it. I should never, _never _have gone ahead with all of this without you knowing about it. I know you'll be mad and you have every right to be. It was just because I knew you wouldn't have agreed to it because of the Marido line, if I'd asked you before. I thought that doing it this way, you wouldn't have time to worry about it and it would be over before you could start to panic." Jake finished his confession with a helpless gesture, and waited for her wrath.

She stared at him for a few moments before responding. "Did you just propose to me?" she demanded.

"I—guess I did. Or I was planning on you kinda getting that message when you saw the dress."

Bella's lips twitched. "Yes!" She almost yelled it at him as she launched herself into the air, knowing he would catch her. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist when he caught hold of her waist and lifted her.

"What?" He started to laugh as she peppered kisses over his face.

"Yes, yes, _yes!_"

"You'll marry me?"

"Yes."

"Today?"

"Yes."

"And walk up the Marido line?"

"Yes."

Jake pulled his head back to look at Bella. Her eyes were bright and moist. Her smile was radiant, causing the seeds of self-doubt that had taken root in his mind to disperse with the wind. Spinning them both around, he pushed her back against the nearest tree and let his emotions surface. Relief, joy and pride flooded his face. Bella's smile faltered slightly as she took in the depth of his feelings.

"Jake." She whispered his name almost reverently in the moment before his lips claimed hers.

* * *

**Half an Hour Later**

"Fuckin'...Jeez, Jake, could you not have at least let the girl shower before the ceremony?" Paul looked stunned as the wind shifted direction, wafting Bella's scent towards him just before she disappeared into the tent where her mother and step-mother were waiting for her.

Jake inhaled deeply, his wolf revelling in the strong aroma of his scent mingled with that of _his fiancée._ "Nope," the Alpha answered smugly. "Nobody will know."

"_We _fuckin' do," Paul grumbled, but Jacob was too far gone in his own happiness to care. He merely chuckled and began to jog in the direction of his father, to confirm that Bella really would be joining the ceremony within the hour. "You'd better hope they can sort out her hair!" Paul yelled after him, shaking his head in disgust.

* * *

Jake stood to the side as the women and girls involved in the day's Marido ceremony assembled at the top of the line. His eyes were trained on Bella. He sensed her nerves, and when she lifted her hand to smooth down her hair, he saw that it was shaking. Her eyes never stayed still, darting around the crowds of people as she sought him out.

When their eyes finally locked, Jake saw the panic in hers. He winked at her, and mouthed, "You're beautiful."

She truly was. The Marido dress was white, flecked with gold colored thread, and its hem just trailed the sand. It was fitted at the waist and flared out gently from there. The sleeves were long, and after tapering to the elbow, they flared out to the wrist. The neckline was modest and embroidered with gold thread. Bella's long, thick hair was pleated down her back, with sweetgrass braided through it. Her ceremonial tattoo was on full display.

Jake thought she had never looked so beautiful...nor so frightened. Hoping she would catch what he was saying, he mouthed one more sentence at her before he had to walk along the outside of the line, to its far end.

Allowing her eyes to travel down the line of women, Bella took a deep and steadying breath. Somewhere along that line would be the women whose wedding day she had ruined. Somewhere, there would be Laura, who had utterly despised her before and would surely loathe her now. Every female in the line would remember Bella's behaviour three years earlier—how she had unwittingly destroyed the sacred Marido line, and ended up screaming and crying into the sand.

Bella felt her heart go into overdrive. Looking down the length of the line, her eyes made out a friendly face near the end. _Emily. _A relieved smile formed on Bella's lips. Next to Emily was Jolene, and words she had spoken to Bella while doing her tattoo the evening before came back to her.

_The morning star on your right temple is the symbol of inner strength. Remember that one at the line._

Bella had assumed she meant when Bella was waiting in the line...not when she was walking it. Now, she understood that Jolene had been giving her a message to help her through this moment. Looking past Jolene, she picked out the other imprints, and her mother and step-mother. They were all positioned near the end of the line, and Bella knew that was a deliberate move.

It was time. The younger girls went first. The first part of the line was made up of children, teenagers and very young adults. Those girls who were sixteen, and therefore considered to be coming of age, walked only the first part of the line. Billy and Old Quil chanted ancient prayers, and the girls received the innocence of the children combined with the integrity of the young women.

Next, it was the turn of the expectant mothers. They walked further, past their own mothers, absorbing maternal knowledge through the grace of their ancestors' intervention.

Finally, it was time for that year's brides to walk the full length of the line, drawing on every resource available to them from the tribeswomen before their married lives began. As future Chief, Jacob's marriage would be the very last to be performed.

Bella waited, shaking with nerves, until the three women before her had completed their walk down the Marido line. She quailed as every female in the tribe turned their heads to stare at her when she took her place at the start of the avenue. Finding the imprints, her mother and Charlie's wife in the line, she took a deep, steadying breath. She could focus on them, and she could do this. Bella began the sacred walk which symbolised the beginning of her marriage.

As Jacob Black's young _hók__w__at̉ _bride walked along the line, a hush fell. Bella's cheeks burned as she felt the ignominy. Then, somewhere, someone began to clap. What began hesitantly, quickly became a rowdy clapping and cheering as the future Chief's bride was welcomed into the tribe. Bella passed Kim and Leah, both of whom hollered at her with wide grins on their faces that triggered a smile on Bella's own. Her eyes travelled to the end of the line, and she found the one person who made her complete.

He was her sun; her best friend. He was the man who had forced her to choose to live. He was the one she turned to when she was sad, and the one she shared her joys with. He was the one who made her go outside her comfort zones, and quietly supported her when she did so. He was the one who made her want to be the very best she could be, but still loved her at her worst.

He was her Jacob.

Falling into his arms at last, the walk of ignominy now forever in the past, Bella tilted her face up for his kiss. The clapping and cheering behind her intensified, abating only when he released her.

"C'mon honey. Let's get married."

Taking her hand, Jake led Bella over to the makeshift altar which had been erected on the sand. The scent of burning sage and cedar filled the air as Old Quil wafted incense over the young couple. They stood, facing one another and holding hands, each with a look of such love and promise on their faces that it made the old man tear up slightly.

Billy's voice began to fill the air. He sounded slightly choked with emotion as he watched his youngest child, and only son, gaze in open adoration at the girl he had loved since he was a boy of fifteen.

"Feel no rain as you shelter each other. Feel no cold as you provide warmth for one another. Feel no loneliness as you become one. You are two people, but only one life lies ahead for you. May your days be good and long together."

The murmur of the crowd was usual at these events. Every man and woman of the tribe seemed to have an opinion on the couple being united in _Marido_. During Jake and Bella's ceremony, the noise level was at least double what it had been for the other couples, but they seemed oblivious to the noise as their eyes locked and their hands intertwined tightly. They repeated the official vows after Billy, with a dreamy air that made the Chief wonder whether they were actually intoxicated with one another. He had noticed the pack's reactions when Bella passed them by earlier, and deduced that his son had preceded their nuptials with a thorough claiming.

The young couple only dropped their eyes from each other's when it was time for Jacob to put the ring on Bella's finger. Pulling it from his pocket, he turned his attention to the task in hand, while she examined the ring. In the Quileute tradition of inlaying silver with a precious stone, Jake's gem of choice was turquoise. Bella knew the significance to the wolves—the spirituality associated with turquoise reflected their ability to shift into an alternate form. With the ring on her finger, Billy pronounced them man and wife, and waited for his son to end the passionate kiss he felt it necessary to bestow on his bride. The crowd erupted in cheers and cat calls once more.

Jake finally released her. "I think they like you, Bells," he whispered.

"I think they do!" she agreed, incredulously. Music started to play, yet they stood there, lost in one another's eyes as the crowd gradually dispersed. "What did you say?" Bella asked suddenly, remembering how he had mouthed something to her when she panicked at the start of the line.

He knew instantly what she meant. "I could see you were scared," he explained. "I wanted you to know I'd be waiting for you at the end of the line."

"So what was it you said?"

Jake looked deeply into his wife's beautiful eyes and smiled tenderly at her.

"I'll be waiting to bring you home."

**A/N: Because a few people have asked...the traditions described here are all fiction. The story was inspired when I came across the beautiful word _marido_, which in some Native American languages apparently means, a union between a man and a woman. The rest is aaalllll imagination.**


End file.
